


The Thirst is Real

by Persiflage



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Bernie Wolfe: World's Okay-est Lesbian, Breakfast in Bed, Canon Schmanon, Cheerfully Ignoring Any and All Canon as the Lord Intended, F/F, First Kiss, First Time, Implied Sexual Content, Prompt Fill, Serena Campbell: Bisexual Extraordinaire, The thirst is real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:41:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29877873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: Canon Divergence: Different first meeting between Bernie and Serena, facilitated by Fleur, and different first kiss.
Relationships: Serena Campbell & Fleur Fanshawe, Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Comments: 10
Kudos: 59





	The Thirst is Real

**Author's Note:**

> I found an [OTP Prompt Generator](https://atsuzaki-playground.neocities.org/) and snagged some of the prompts to write. An Anon chose this one for me to write for them. The prompt was _Serena staring admiringly at Bernie from across the room. A friend whispers into Serena's ear: 'Why are you so thirsty?'_

“You’re staring again,” says a voice in Serena’s ear, startling her out of her rapt gaze across the bar at Albie’s.

“Wasn’t,” Serena responds, which is a lie as both she and her friend Fleur Fanshawe know.

“Was so,” retorts Fleur, nudging Serena’s elbow with her own. “Practically drooling, too.” When Serena hastily lifts a hand to rub against her mouth, Fleur cackles as she discovers she hasn’t been drooling at all. “Why are you so thirsty?” She leans into Serena’s personal space to follow her gaze. “Oh, well, yes, I can see why now.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Serena says quickly.

“Liar,” says Fleur, her tone affectionate. “You’re totally staring at the new consultant from Keller. Not that I can blame you: tall, slim, blonde, and with such muscles. That’s the new Army medic, isn’t it? Major Berenice Wolfe?” 

Serena sighs dreamily. “Yeah.”

“Why don’t you go over there and introduce yourself?” Fleur asks. “Flirt with her. I’m sure she’ll quickly succumb to the Campbell charm.”

Serena shakes her head quickly. “I can’t.”

“Why ever not?”

“She’s just gone through a really messy divorce. From a man.”

“So?” Fleur says promptly. “I’m fairly sure you haven’t forgotten bisexuals exist. Given that’s how you identify yourself.”

“Of course I know bisexuals exist,” Serena says crossly. “But just because they exist doesn’t mean the Major’s bisexual.”

Fleur snorts in response to this. “Oh Serena. I’m fairly sure our good Major is some form of queer. Look at her.”

“I _was_ looking at her,” Serena says with a tut. “Until you uninterrupted me.”

That elicits a cackle of laughter from her friend. “Look at how she’s dressed, I mean, not just at those muscles of hers.”

Serena looks back at Major Wolfe, taking in the skinny black jeans that emphasise the length of her legs, the tight black ribbed top that seems to cling to her breasts, and the soft-looking red, checked, long-sleeved shirt she wears untucked over the ribbed top. A shirt that’s unbuttoned to a sufficient degree to show off the black top beneath it, not to mention her collarbones. Serena licks her lips unconsciously, then starts when Fleur elbows her in the ribs. 

“That’s the soft butch look she’s sporting,” she says.

“Whatever it is, she looks gorgeous,” Serena says, without really considering the wisdom of sharing such a view with Fleur.

Her friend chuckles. “You’ve got it seriously bad. I still think you should introduce yourself.” In a quieter voice Fleur observes, “I think she could use a friend, to tell you the truth. She’s been butting heads a lot with Hanssen, Griffin, and Levy. Besides, you’re always saying us women consultants should stick together.” 

Serena sighs. It’s quite true that she’s said that on many occasions, knowing that women consultants have to work far harder than their male counterparts to achieve any success.

“Go on,” Fleur says, nudging Serena’s elbow with her own. “If you bring her over here, I promise to behave.”

Serena gives her a sceptical look and Fleur puts on her best ‘innocent’ face, which doesn’t fool her for a second. Still, she gets up and makes her way to the bar where Bernie Wolfe is nursing a glass of whisky.

“Major Wolfe?”

The blonde head jerks around, the ends of her hair flicking against her cheek, and it’s clear to Serena that she’s startled the other woman. “Yes?” The Major’s voice is soft and husky and Serena feels her body reacting to it immediately.

“Serena Campbell,” she says, holding out her hand. “Clinical Lead of AAU and Deputy CEO of Holby.”

The Major looks concerned and Serena wonders if she’s expecting to be berated for something given that she is only a locum on Keller. “Hello.” 

They shake hands and Serena tries not to react to the strong, slender fingers curling around her own, although it’s not easy because her mind has already gone straight to the gutter in response.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Serena asks, proud of how steady her voice sounds.

The Major blinks. “You want to buy me a drink,” she says, sounding doubtful.

“I do.”

“Oh. I, um, I thought perhaps Mr Hanssen had deputised you to fire me.”

Serena chuckles softly. “Not at all. So, what’s your poison?”

“Whisky,” the Major says. “Thank you.”

“Us women surgeons have to stick together, you know,” Serena says, bumping their shoulders together, then signalling a bartender. “Can I get another of whatever the Major’s drinking and a glass of Shiraz for me, please Pam?”

“Call me Bernie, please.”

“Delighted to,” Serena says. 

When Pam brings their drinks over, Serena nods at Bernie’s and says, “Why don’t you come and join me and Fleur.”

“Fleur?” Bernie frowns. “Oh, the diminutive, yet terrifying, Gynae consultant.”

Serena laughs. “Terrifying? Fleur? She’ll be flattered to hear you think so, given you’re a big macho Army medic.” She starts towards the table where she left Fleur.

Bernie blushes pinkly. “I’m not so macho as all that,” she demurs. 

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Serena teases, thinking that she wouldn’t mind making Bernie blush in other circumstances.

They arrive at the table, Serena noting that Fleur has moved from the padded bench they’d been sharing to the single chair around the corner of the table, and her diminutive friend stands up, holding out a hand.

“Major Wolfe, isn’t it?” she says. “Fleur Fanshawe.”

“Bernie’s fine,” the Major responds as they shake hands.

Fleur gives her a slow, appraising look up and down, a thoroughly lascivious look, Serena thinks. “I’ll say she is,” Fleur retorts.

Bernie blushes a second time. “I meant –” she begins.

“Oh, I know what you meant,” Fleur says. “But I stand by my opinion. Anyway, I’m sorry to run out on you, but I’m needed at the hospital.” She waggles her pager. “Nice to meet you, Bernie. I look forward to getting to know you properly.”

“Nice meeting you, too,” Bernie responds, as she sits next to Serena, who can’t help wondering whether her friend really is needed at the hospital, or if she’s just setting Serena up. Not that Serena minds very much since she now has Bernie to herself.

“So, tell me about the atriocaval shunt you performed so successfully the other day,” suggests Serena with an encouraging smile, which fortunately is all Bernie Wolfe needs to hold forth enthusiastically.

By the end of the evening, they’re both a little drunk, though less on alcohol, than on each other, having formed a strong, instant connection. They walk back towards the hospital car park together, shoulders and elbows bumping, and Serena’s hardly surprised when the Major slips a hand under her elbow and guides her around the corner of the building, then presses her up against the wall.

“I’m going to kiss you,” she says, her low voice practically a growl, which goes straight between Serena’s legs. “Unless you tell me not to.”

“You’d better kiss me,” Serena retorts, “because if you don’t –” The rest of the sentence goes unsaid as the Major’s mouth descends on her own and she finds herself kissed almost senseless by soft, supple lips. Strong arms encircle her, holding her close, and Serena can’t resist lifting a hand and sinking it into the mass of Bernie’s unruly blonde hair. It’s as soft and silky as she’s been imagining and she gives it a little tug, which elicits an actual wordless growl, then teeth nip at her bottom lip and a firmly muscled thigh pushes between her legs, causing Serena to mewl like a kitten. She doesn’t care, though. All she cares about is how much she wants this woman.

“Are you going to come home with me and finish what we’ve started?” Serena demands when they are finally forced to pull apart to catch their breath.

“Or I could finish it here?” Bernie suggests with a leer.

“Oh no,” Serena says immediately. “I am the deputy CEO and I refuse to be ravished against the wall of my workplace because you’re not enough of a gentleman to see me home to do the job properly.”

“Oh, love, I’ll ravish you so well that you won’t be able to walk tomorrow,” Bernie says in a tone of supreme confidence. She leans in and nips at Serena’s earlobe, then laves it with her tongue. “I’m going to shag you to tatters.”

“Too much talk, not enough action, Major Wolfe,” Serena says in a stern tone.

Brown eyes flash and then she finds herself scooped off her feet and carried to her car, the blonde laughing all the way.

“Put me down this instant you ridiculous woman!” Serena hisses, shocked.

She’s deposited gently beside her car, then Bernie rips off a salute. “Major Wolfe reporting for ravishing duty, Sah!”

Serena shakes her head. “Completely ridiculous,” she says, but her tone is fond, belying her previous stern tone. She unlocks her car and Bernie steps forward to open the door, bowing with a sweeping gesture towards the driver’s seat.

Serena’s peal of laughter makes Bernie grin at her. “Get in,” Serena says, gesturing at her car.

“After you, ma’am.”

Serena rolls her eyes, then climbs into the driver’s seat, watching through the windscreen as Bernie jogs around to the passenger side and climbs in.

“Ready when you are, ma’am,” she says.

“Buckle up, soldier.”

Bernie fastens her seatbelt with a smirk and Serena hopes she’s capable of driving safely, because she’s incredibly turned on and concentrating’s not going to be easy.

SC-BW-SC-BW-SC

The next morning Serena wakes slowly, aware that her body is aching intensely, but pleasantly as she shifts in the bed she’s sharing with a certain blonde Major who did, indeed, shag her to absolute tatters. 

“You okay?” asks a muffled voice to her left.

“Mmhmm,” she responds, not sure she’s capable of actual speech at the moment. She rolls her head sideways on the pillow and spots Bernie, lying prone, her face buried in her pillow, which explains how muffled she’d sounded. She wants to reach out and tangle her fingers in the blonde hair that’s spread across said pillow, but she doesn’t quite have the energy to lift her arm.

Bernie shifts next to her, eyes opening slowly and squinting at her, before a big, shit-eating grin steals across her face. “Good to know I’ve still got it,” she observes.

“It?” repeats Serena, because thinking requires more effort than she’s currently capable of.

Bernie shifts again, moving close enough to nip at Serena’s dimpled chin. “It,” she repeats. She slides a hand up the inside of Serena’s left leg and begins toying with her curls. “Told you I’d shag you to tatters,” she whispers in Serena’s ear, her hot breath stirring the gentle embers of Serena’s desire back to a fire again. “Reckon you could go again?”

“Not without fuel first,” Serena says firmly, finally managing to make her body respond to her commands and reaching out to clasp Bernie’s wrist before her fingers can penetrate the slick heat that’s already building between her thighs.

“Then breakfast in bed you shall have, milady,” Bernie says, and practically bounces out of bed with the words. She grabs her discarded long-sleeve shirt from the floor and pulls it on, fastening just the middle two buttons, then says, “Back shortly.” She disappears before Serena can say anything further and she feels deeply grateful that Jason’s away this weekend. She’s not sure how her nephew would respond to a semi-naked Major appearing in the kitchen while he was eating breakfast.

She dozes off while she waits for Bernie to return, but the scent of strong coffee, bacon, and warm croissants wakes her up again.

She manages to pull herself up the bed and sits propped against her pillows, wondering if last night is going to be a one-off or the start of something serious with Bernie. She hopes the latter, but she’s not sure if Bernie feels the same. It had certainly been good to be with someone who not only gave her earth-shattering orgasms, but had also made sure that Serena had been thoroughly taken care of before allowing Serena to return the favour with regard to the orgasms.

“Breakfast is served, milady,” Bernie says and Serena chuckles, realising that her lover has draped a clean linen napkin over her forearm, just as if she’s a waiter. Bernie carefully lowers the tray to rest across Serena’s lap, tosses the napkin onto the bed by her legs, before shedding her shirt and climbing back into bed again.

“You can stay over again if this is what I have to look forward to,” Serena says lightly, picking up a mug of coffee that’s exactly as strong as she prefers.

Bernie smirks. “I’ll hold you to that, Campbell,” she says and grabs one of the plates holding a bacon butty before beginning to eat.

“Is this serious, then?”

Bernie’s eyes widen and her eyebrows fly up, then she swallows. “It is for me,” she says firmly.

“Me too.”

They eat breakfast in a silence simmering with desire and Serena decides she owes Fleur a bottle of wine for encouraging her to go after Bernie. The future's starting to look exciting.


End file.
